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Reminder Assistant Editor EAST LONGMEADOW As the Massachusetts School Building Authority's list of schools that will receive funding for renovations continues to dwindle, representatives from the association and various school districts have been meeting to determine who needs the funding the most. Dr. Edward Costa, superintendent of East Longmeadow Public Schools, along with members of the School Committee and a member of the Board of Selectmen, traveled to Boston on Dec. 21 to discuss the town's needs and the outlook, according to Costa, is good. "We are one of 83 school districts that made the top list out of 470 applications," Costa told Reminder Publications. "It's up to each and every school district and community to make their case now." Costa said the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) called on East Longmeadow to "plead its case" as to why the town's schools should receive funding. Three different schools Meadowbrook, Mapleshade and Mountain View -- all needed four new classrooms to deal with overcrowding issues. At the meeting, the MSBA told the envoy from East Longmeadow they had a credible project and were pleased with the documents they presented, such as the blueprints and contracts from the expansion. "They complimented East Longmeadow for taking the initiative to help resolve overcrowded classroom issues," Costa stated. He added overcrowding is a top priority for the MSBA. "We're awaiting their next call," Costa said. "They told us, if approved, their funding percentage would be between 40 and 50 percent of the $2.8 million cost to the town." He added he went through the same process with the MSBA when Birchland Park Middle School was built. "We came back with big smiles on our faces," Costa said, "and soon we'll have a final report." | ||||||
